CPU Guide

Test Setup

Test Setup

Intel's Sandy Bridge processors are making the headlines for the right reasons, so any processor launch by AMD will face the full competitive wrath of Chipzilla. While the Phenom II X4 840 largely escapes the Sandy Bridge onslaught due to its US$102 price tag (the cheapest Sandy Bridge processor, the dual-core Core i3-2100 is US$117), the US$195 AMD Phenom II X4 975 Black Edition will face the Core i5-2400 (US$184). The prices for the Intel processors are for bulk purchases, so the actual retail prices, especially if there's high demand, are likely to be a tad higher than the ones quoted here.

For the comparison, we added the Phenom II X6 1075T (US$199), the Phenom II X4 970 (US$186) and for the lower end, the Athlon II X4 645, 635 and the US$125 Core i3-550. These processors will cover the US$100 to 200 range and are the relative competitors for the two new AMD CPUs.